Rescue
by Lalaith Quetzalli
Summary: What would have happened if Shang hadn't stayed at the Fa's to dinner? One year later Mulan still hasn't been able to forget him. The Huns return and they kidnap all the Royal Army, General Li and the Emperor himself! And Mulan's mision will be to rescue
1. The Message

> **Rescue.**
>
>> **_Autor: Princess Lalaith_**
> 
>   
  
_¿What would have happened if Shang hadn't stayed with the Fa's to dinner? _

**Chapter 1.- The message.  
**  
Two long years had been since China was in danger for the last time. And many things have changed since then. Mulan was now a beautiful woman, and she had kept her hair short. After the time they had stopped talking about 'the girl that save China', and most forgot about it. She was as any woman in the village, except she hadn't yet gotten married. Mushu was still her guardian, and friend, as well as Crikee. She always remembered that man, the one she loved...  
  
"Li Shang..." Mulan murmured just then, as she fed Khan.   
  
Just then she heard it, drums. And that meant just one thing.   
  
Mulan ran to the doors of the house and opened them as a group of men arrived, as she had expected, Chi-Fu, was between those men.   
  
"I come to deliver a message to Mr. Fa Ping." Chi-Fu said.   
  
Mulan looked puzzled, didn't he know she was...   
  
"I'll give it to him." Mulan said as she took the message.   
  
"They shall be waiting for a response before sunset tomorrow." Chi-Fu said as he left.   
  
Mulan had a strange feeling as she opened the message.   
  
"Who was it Mulan?" her mother asked.   
  
"The emperor's Adviser." Mulan answered. "He brought a message."  
  
"Whom for?" her father asked.   
  
"Ping." Mulan answered as she was about to read it.   
  
Her parents looked at her puzzled.   
  
"It's me, in one way or another." Mulan replied, she read the message in silence. "Oh my God." She gasped.  
  
"What is it girl?" her grandma said stepping out of the house.  
  
"Problems." Mulan said sharply as she ran into the house. "Big ones."  
  
Her parents and grandmother watched as Mulan took a bag and packed a blue dress, and some indispensable things. Then she got off her red blouse and skirt and dressed in the battle outfit that belonged to her father.   
  
"Mulan, what do you think you're doing?" Fa Zhou asked as he got an idea what her daughter pretended.   
  
"Pardon me father, but they need my help." Mulan answered as she tied her hair up. "There are a few Huns trying to take over again."   
  
"The army will stop them." Her mother insisted.   
  
"They already tried, and most of them were captured." Mulan said.   
  
"If they were defeated, what tells you you'll be able to win?" her father asked.   
  
"Because I already won over them once, and I'll do it again." Mulan said with self-confidence. "Besides, the captured ones, they are my friends, I won't leave them to die." Then she added to herself. 'And I have a strange feeling they're waiting for me...  
  
Mrs. And Mr. Fa understood there was no way they could stop their daughter.   
  
Mulan headed to the little shrine in her farm, once there she knelt down.   
  
"Ancestors, guide me and protect me, please." She pleaded.   
  
She was about to leave the shrine when she heard someone calling her.   
  
"Mulan!" the voice called.   
  
"Mushu!" she said surprised to see him awake.   
  
"Where do you think you're going without me?" Mushu asked.   
  
"To rescue my friends." Mulan replied, walking as Mushu followed her.   
  
"Well," Mushu said. "You aren't going anywhere...without me. I'm your guardian, remember?"   
  
They reached the farm's doors, Khan was ready.   
  
"Is that cow coming with us again?" Mushu asked.   
  
Khan looked at him with burning eyes.   
  
"Mushu..." Mulan started.   
  
"Fine, fine." Mushu said as he jumped to Mulan's shoulder.   
  
"Please take care of yourself dear." Mrs. Fa called.   
  
"I'll be okay mom, dad, don't worry." Mulan said as she got ready. "Hia!"   
  
Khan got away.   
  
"Yeah! Let's go kick some Huns' asses!" they could hear Mushu calling in the distance.   
  
By the next day, around mid-afternoon, Mulan arrived to the camp.   
  
"Name?" the guard asked.   
  
"Fa Ping." She said trying to act like a man and handing him the message she had received.   
  
"Mr. Fa, they're waiting for you." The guard said as he pointed one of the tents.  
  
"Thank you." Mulan said as she headed to where she was told.   
  
Once inside she noticed a group of men, probably the soldiers that escaped the last battle, they were preparing an attack. Se looked at the map that was there. It was of a big farm, it even had its own lake.   
  
"So the Huns are here." The captain was saying. "They have the emperor in the main bedroom here." He pointed to one of the rooms. "And the rest of our men should be in one of the saloons over here." He pointed to another one. "We should be able to pass the first group of guards and enter by one of the lateral windows and..."  
  
"Excuse me sir, Who are you?" another man asked Mulan.   
  
"Fa Ping." She answered, again showing the message. "I was called yesterday."   
  
The man nodded and left.   
  
"And after we have the emperor safe and sane and out of the grounds we'll be able to open fire. Everything shall be burnt down so we'll be sure all the Huns die. Understood?" the captain asked.   
  
All of the men nodded.   
  
The men left, and as Mulan was about to do the same Chi-Fu entered and stopped her.   
  
"So you came." He said. "Am I surprised?"  
  
"What happened Chi-Fu?" she asked getting off her man-role.   
  
"Didn't you read the message?" Chi-Fu asked.  
  
"Of course I did, why else would I be here?" she asked annoyed. "I need details."  
  
"What details you need?" Chi-Fu asked, but he didn't wait for an answer, he continued. "The emperor and General Li Shang were with a few soldiers in the Royal-summer-house, they were attacked, surrounded and with no ways to escape. Some other soldiers tried to rescue them, and most of them died. So we're planning new tactics."  
  
"They won't work." Mulan said then.   
  
"Why is it you say that, may I ask?"  
  
"You're planning everything to attack." Mulan explained. "But not to defend yourselves. I'm sure there'll be more than twenty guards. Just one slip, and you'll be dead." Chi-Fu was about to say something but she continued. "Besides, you're too many men, you'll call the attention immediately, you'll have all the Huns over yourselves before you even have time to get your bow ready."  
  
"What can a woman know about war?" Chi-Fu asked mad.   
  
"Well, I'm sure I know more than you do, Chi-Fu; I'm trained, Li Shang trained me, as well as the rest of the Chinese army; and I already fought the Huns two years ago, and defeat them." Mulan got really mad when she was underestimated because of her gender.   
  
"Ok, and what's your plan if you may let me know?"   
  
"Give me two hours, two hours from the moment we arrive on the limits of the house. I'll get in there, find the soldiers and the emperor."  
  
"And how do you plan to do that, alone and without being caught?"   
  
"You already said it, alone. I'll be able to pass unnoticed, and once I've freed the other soldiers things should be much easier. In case I fail you let in the rest of the army and do whatever you plan to do."   
  
"Dealt."   
  
Mulan shook his hand as she left to get ready.  
  
Chi-Fu thought, in normal circumstances he would have immediately refused to let her be on charge, but he was told to call her and trust her, so he had to do it. In case things went right the emperor, and all China, would be safe, and in case they didn't he would still be able to proof Women didn't belong to the battle field.

.  
  
Meanwhile Mulan explained the plan to Mushu, and even though he didn't like the idea much, he knew there was no way to change Mulan's mind. So they just had to get the plan set, and prepare for the mission.

* * *

Author's Notes: Short Chapter to begin with, I know, but this story is short. I'll update as fast as posible.

And please leave reviews!


	2. Against Time

**Rescue.**

**_Autor: Princess Lalaith_**

__

_¿What would have happened if Shang hadn't stayed with the Fa's to dinner? _

**Chapter 2.- Against time. **

Mulan counted the time. It had been about fifteen minutes since she had entered the place. She should hurry. Dressed like a man, and walking as silently as she could, she went unnoticed by most of the guards, and the ones that do noticed her, ended on the ground unconscious no long after that.

"Okay, this must be it." Mulan said as she arrived to the door of one of the main rooms.

She had taken the keys from a guard that now laid unconscious on the ground, she opened the place as quickly and quietly as she could.

Inside Mulan could see about a dozen and a half soldiers. All of them turned to look at her when she opened the door.

"Quiet." She said again taking her man-role.

"How did you get in here?" one of the soldiers asked surprised.

"Certainly not knocking the door." Mulan said trying to get some humor to the soldiers, it seemed to work. "Okay, you, get down the alley and on the end go out the window, once there you'll be able to see the wall that limits this place, you can climb it and get out. Try not to call the attention of the Huns."

"What will you do?" one soldier asked.

"I'll need just two or three soldiers to come with me to rescue the Emperor." Mulan answered, trying to sound like an authority.

"Why don't all of us go there?" a second soldier asked.

"Because we would get caught, that's why." she answered a little annoyed. "Now we should hurry." 'It must bee about half an hour already. She thought.

The soldiers agreed and left, and just three of them stayed. She was really happy when she found out they were Yao, Ling and Chien-Po.

"Ok, follow me." She said walking again.

"How do you know where to go?" Yao asked.

"I was shown a map of the place." Mulan said as she turned around a corner.

'Mushu must be around keeping an eye on everything. She thought.

It took them about twenty more minutes to arrive to the doors that led to the main bedroom.

"Here it is." She said.

"It's locked." Ling said after trying the knob.

"We can just break it." Yao said preparing himself.

"No." Mulan stopped him. "Are you crazy? They'll hear it and come immediately, we'll be dead."

"What's your plan?" Chien-Po asked.

Mulan took one of her hair pins off and broke it in half, then she knelt down right in front of the door-knob and got the two pieces of the hair pin in, she turned them one way and the other until she heard a _click_ that obviously meant the door was unlocked.

"Ready." She said, standing up and opening the door.

"How did you do that?" Ling asked surprised.

"That's a secret." Mulan said smiling and winking.

Once the four of them were inside she closed the door silently.

They found the Emperor sitting in a chair, and he looked fairly calmed.

"Your Highness." Chien-Po said bowing. "We must get you out of here."

"Chien-Po is right." Mulan said as she looked through the window, making sure the Huns weren't on alert yet.

Ling was about to ask how did he knew their names when the emperor spoke.

"You're brave indeed. No men would have been able to do this." The emperor said.

This time Yao was about to ask the emperor what did he meant, after all They were men.

"Probably not." Mulan said as she untied her hair.

"M..." Yao was about to shout her name when Mulan stopped him.

"Don't yell Yao, or they'll caught us for sure." Mulan said.

"Mulan?" Ling asked, as surprised as his friends.

"The one and only." She answered smiling. "Now, I'm really happy to be together and everything, but I think we'll be able to chat once all this is over."

Everyone nodded.

"But we're missing General Li Shang." Chien-Po said.

Mulan noticed this. 'He must be in the main room.' She thought. 'Well, I'll have to go.'

"You must go back the way we went, and then follow the path I told the other soldiers." Mulan explained. "You shall wait for a Hun guard to pass, then you'll have about seven to ten minutes to cross the grounds and climb over the wall."

"And what about you?" Yao asked.

"I'll go find Shang." Mulan replied calmly.

The Emperor noticed she had tensed a bit, but said nothing.

"Mushu." Mulan called.

"Did you call me Mulan?" Mushu asked entering by the window.

Again Yao was about to yell.

"What's this lizard?" he asked finally.

"For your information I'm not lizard." Mushu said mad. "I'm a Dragon Guardian of the Fa family, in the moment Mulan's guardian."

"But you're too...small." Ling complied.

"Pocket-size for an easier trip." Mushu replied with a smile.

"Okay Mushu, you'll have time to bargain all you want later." Mulan interrupted. "Now I need you to guide them safely out of this place."

"And where are you going?" Mushu asked.

"I'm going to find Shang." Mulan said again. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've still got about fifty minutes."

They didn't understand what she meant, but didn't ask either.

"Chien-Po." Mulan called as they were about to leave.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Tell the captain to open fire no matter what, Understood?" Mulan asked.

It looked like Chien-Po was about to comply.

"Please, do it. Everything will be fine." Mulan insisted.

Finally Chien-Po nodded.

Mulan watched as they walked away the way they had come, and then she headed the opposite way, she had to find the main room where she would find the Huns' leader and, with a little luck, Shang.

* * *

In the main room there was Shan Teng, Shan Yu's cousin. He was the new leader of the Huns, and he planned to finished what his cousin had started.

"Soon all China will be at my feet." Shan Teng laughed.

"No. That'll never be." Shang said.

"And how are you so sure?" Shan Teng asked him with a wicked look.

Shang was, at the moment, kneeling down, with his hands tied behind his back. He felt really mad and useless in the present situation.

"The rest of the Chinese army will come and kill you all." Shang assured.

"And we'll kill them as we did with the first troops." He said with a maniac laugh.

The few Huns that were in the room laughed too.

"But for now I think I'll have some fun with you, General Li..." Shan Teng said.

He raised a knife, and was about to hit Shang when and arrow landed right at his feet.

"Am I late for the party?" a voice asked between the shadows.

"Who are you?" Shan Teng asked mad.

"We have bad memory, eh?" the voice said.

Shang, as well as the Huns could guess whoever was talking was smiling.

"Who are you?!" Shan Teng demanded to know.

"Your worst nightmare." The voice said as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

This time, they could notice it was a female voice.

"Get her!" Shan Teng ordered.

'Her? Mulan!,' Shang's mind worked really fast. She was really here.

Mulan defeated the few Huns in a few minutes.

"Am I disappointed." She said with a calm smile.

"You are her." Shan Teng said. "The girl that defeated my cousin, aren't you?"

"Yes, it's me." She said smiling. "My name is Fa Mulan."

Shang couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing, it was true, she was here.

Mulan had seen him too, but was trying to control her emotions so her plan wouldn't fail. She couldn't fail, her life and Shang's depended on her.

Shan Teng smiled again his wicked smile as he got hold of his blade, Mulan got hold of hers too. And in less than two seconds, the fight started. Both opponents were really good in their own styles, and it was difficult to predict who would win.

After about half-an-hour fighting Shan Teng hit Mulan and she lost her sword.

"This is not good." Mulan said as she stepped backwards.

Shan Teng smiled madly at her and raised his sword.

"No!!" Shang yelled standing up with a few problems and kicking Shan Teng in the chest.

"Damn it!" Shan Teng hissed, he raised his sword against Shang.

"Shang!!" Mulan screamed really afraid.

Shang turned around just in time for the blade to cut the ropes tying him.

Mulan came back to her senses and flipped backwards, raising her sword in the process. She ran right to Shan Teng, who was ready to cut her through. But Mulan threw her sword aside and did a few flips and jumps, avoiding Shan Teng's blade and punches, and hitting him a few times by the way. Shan Teng was about to react when he felt something trespassing him. A sword.

When Mulan had thrown her sword, it had landed in Shang's hands. So he had waited until Mulan had distracted Shan Teng and he had the opportunity to kill him. But Shan Teng hadn't noticed this and was now dead. Finally.

"Mulan you were wonderful." Shang said really amazed.

"Thank you." She said lowing her a little.

"Thank You, for saving my life." Shang said. "God, you're good."

"You train me, remember?" she said with a little and sweet smile.

Shang nodded.

"Oh, no." Mulan said suddenly.

"What?" Shang asked.

"Quickly, we must leave." Mulan said running to the door and pulling Shang with her.

"Why the hurry?"

"Because this place shall be burnt down in about five minutes."

"What?!"

"Run!"

Both of them ran as fast as they could. It didn't took them long to get to the front of the building, just that they were on the second floor, and the only way down was by some wires.

"Well, just as last time." Mulan said with a sarcastic smile.

"You first." Shang said handing her a handkerchief.

"No. You go first." Mulan insisted pushing him to the limit.

"But I say..." Shang started.

"You may be the General, but at the moment you aren't My general, so you don't give me orders. Down you go. Now." Mulan said with authority.

Shang almost laughed at that. But anyway he went down. Mulan was about to do the same when a Hun arrived.

"They're escaping! They're escaping! Get them!" The Hun yelled.

"No." she said kicking him unconscious.

But it was already too late, the Huns were on alert and some of them ran straight at her.

"Mulan, come on!" Shang called to her from outside the grounds.

"I'm sorry." She murmured as she got hold of a knife.

"Get them!" Another Hun yelled.

"No, you won't." Mulan said as she cut the wire.

"Mulan!" Shang screamed.

She ran away.

* * *

"Ready to open fire?" one of the Captains asked the soldiers.

"You can't do that." Shang said.

"Why not?" the captain asked.

"Because Fa Mulan is still in there." Shang answered.

"We had a deal." Chi-Fu interfered. "She said she would be out in two hours, the time shall be up in about two minutes. I follow the deal."

"You can't do it. You're killing her!" Shang yelled.

Just then Yao, Ling, Chien-Po and the Emperor arrived.

The Captain was looking doubtfully at the rest of the people.

"Open fire." Chi-Fu said.

"No!" Shang shouted.

"Excuse me." Chien-Po said. "She told me to tell you to open fire, no matter what."

"What?!" Ling yelled.

"Mulan is still in there?!" Yao screamed.

Shang nodded.

"You must open fire." Chi-Fu insisted.

"No!!" Shang, Yao and Ling yelled at the same time.

"There was a deal." Chi-Fu continued saying.

"She said to go on with the plan, no matter what." Chien-Po repeated.

"Your Highness?" the Captain asked, as he knew no one else to ask.

The Emperor nodded.

Mushu wanted to do something, but he couldn't reveal himself to any human unless Mulan wanted him to.

Chi-Fu counted the time, thirty seconds to go...

* * *

Meanwhile, inside.

Mulan was still running, away from the Huns, trying to avoid them.

Twenty seconds...

She knew the time should be up in any moment know, but she didn't stop running.

Fifteen seconds...

Some Huns got in her way and she hit them unconscious as fast as she could.

Ten seconds...

She ran again. There were too many Huns, more than she had expected.

Nine...Eight...

Mulan dashed past another couple of Huns.

Seven...Six...

A rain of arrows passed by and missed her miraculously.

Five...Four...

She had to run faster, there was one last hope...

Three...Two...

The time was about to end, she knew it.

One...

* * *

"Open Fire!!"

* * *

* * *

Author Notes: Thanks to all those who are reading my fics. I really apreciate it. The fic is already finished, so you don't have to worry for me leting it hanging. It won't happen. The next chapter will be up in about 2 weeks, aprox.


	3. Miracle

**Rescue.**

**_Autor: Princess Lalaith_**

_¿What would have happened if Shang hadn't stayed with the Fa's to dinner? _

**Chapter 3.- Miracle**

Shang didn't even wait for the smoke and dust to settle down, he returned inside. And after him went Yao, Ling, Chien-Po and Mushu. After them some other soldiers went in to make sure all the Huns were dead.

"This can't be true." Yao murmured in a low voice.

They looked around, everything had been burnt down, destroyed, turned into ashes.

"No...Mulan." Mushu and Shang murmured at the same time.

"It was impossible for her to survive something like this." Ling murmured.

Chien-Po sighed, he wasn't the only one who hadn't lost hope.

'If Mulan survived so much things before, why can't she survive this too? He asked himself.

By then they were walking by what, just about one minute ago, used to be the main garden.

"Mulan..." the three soldiers murmured at once.

"I just wish I could do something for her." Shang murmured.

"Well, you can help me out 'a here." A voice murmured behind them.

The five of them turned around at once. Shang ran to the owner of the voice immediately.

"Mulan!" Shang, Mushu, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po yelled at unison.

It was Mulan, she was alive! She really was!

Shang helped Mulan out of the lake, She was dripping wet, and trembling by the cold she felt. Her wet cloths hug her body in a cold embrace, showing at the same time her well-formed body. Shang immediately took off his coat and covered Mulan with it.

"Thank you." She said.

"What?...How?..." Yao asked.

"Well." Mulan said as they headed outside. "As I was running I remembered in the map I had seen a lake, so if they were attacking with fire, the water would protect me. It was my only chance."

"God, you're really lucky girl, you know that?" Ling said with a smile.

"Yeah, I know it." Mulan said smiling.

Just then, they arrived with the rest of the soldiers, Chi-Fu and the Emperor.

"Your Grace." Mulan said bowing deeply.

"You saved us all, again, Fa Mulan." The Emperor said, bowing a little.

At the moment everyone else got to their knees.

'This is the second time that this happens to me.' Mulan thought, embarrassed for the attention.

"It's been an honor to help, your Highness." Mulan said bowing again and smiling.

Just then all the soldiers started congratulating her. Chi-Fu seemed a little mad, but satisfied. After all, China was safe.

"Pardon me Emperor." Mulan said. "But I think it's my time to leave. I left my home without much explanation, and I'm sure they're worried for me."

"You may leave girl, and the gods bless you." The Emperor said.

Mulan smiled and climbed Khan, Mushu hid in her clothes and left with her.

"Now we shall return you to your palace Your Grace." Shang said approaching the Emperor.

"What a magnificent flower it may be, that one that survived two winters and never loosed her beauty." The Emperor said with his eyes focused on the small figure of Mulan at the distance.

Shang looked at him, confused.

"Do you really plan to let go that girl twice?" The Emperor asked as he left.

Shang was shocked at what he heard.

"Really general." Yao said behind Shang. "I was hoping to see you running behind her."

"Galloping would be better." Ling interrupted. "Seeing that she's on a horse as well."

Shang turned to look at them, his eyes wide. Why did everyone seemed to know about his feelings for Mulan?

"What are you doing still here?" Ling asked pissed.

"For a General, you're too slow." Yao commented.

"But..." Shang started to reply.

"Go now!!" both of his soldiers yelled at once.

Before he could say anything else Chien-Po brought him a horse.

"Do what you believe its better, general." He said.

Finally Shang understood. Without a second thought he climbed on the horse and dashed away. The rest of his friends looked at him happily.

"Hmmm..." The Emperor murmured, looking at the small figure of the general in the distance. "It was about time."

Mulan stopped in a forest, a few miles away from her home town, once there she opened her bag, took a towel, dried herself and put on the blue dress she had packed. She knew if she went on galloping on the wet uniform not only she would call more attention than needed, but she would get sick too. One she was dressed she got on Khan again and rode home.

* * *

One more chapter to go! 

Please leave reviews.


	4. Honor and Love

**Rescue.**

_**Autor: Princess Lalaith **_

_¿What would have happened if Shang hadn't stayed with the Fa's to dinner? _

**Chapter 4.- Honor and Love. **

Mulan arrived home that night. She had been gone for three days only.

"Mulan! Thanks the gods you're alright!" her mother said as she hugged the young woman.

"I'm perfectly fine mom." Mulan said smiling as she let Khan in the stables.

"Is everything ok?" Her father asked from the porch.

"Yup." Mulan nodded. "Everything's perfectly fine. My friends are safe and sane, and the Huns were turned to ashes, for good I expect."

"I never imagined the gods could grace a man with something as beautiful and invaluable as you, my dear daughter." Her father said seriously.

"Two years ago." Mulan said. "When I was seventeen and the matchmaker didn't approved I thought I was lost, that I had dishonored you, that I had no place in the world. That I wasn't the daughter you wished I was..." Tears ran down her cheeks.

"You did nothing of that Mulan." Her mother said.

"You are everything we could wish for a daughter, and more, much more." Her father said hugging her. "You're intelligent, and noble, and humble, with great abilities. You truly are one of a kind."

"And we are really honored and thankful that you're part of our family." Her mother added.

Mulan smiled as she continued crying, tears of happiness, as she hugged both of her parents.

Mushu and Crikee left, understanding this was a 'family moment'.

About an hour later they were having dinner. Suddenly Mulan had a strange feeling, she put down the tea pot and cups and silently moved to the door.

"What's wrong sweety?" her granny asked.

"I have a strange feeling." She said, she put a finger to her lips to signal them to keep quite.

She looked around the room and found just a short knife.

'This should do.' She thought.

She took it and slowly walked next to the door.

Just then the door opened slowly and a figure entered. It seemed like he was a man, and he was about to speak when Mulan leapt at him and quickly put the knife by his throat.

"Don't move." She ordered coldly.

"Hey, it's just me." The man said in a low voice.

"Shang?!" Mulan yelled pulling down the knife and stepping backwards.

Granny immediately lit the candles again. In the light, Mulan's face could be seen, expressions of surprise, shock and relax, all in one.

"Never...do that...again..." Mulan said, babbling.

"What?" Shang asked, pretending to look innocent.

"That?!" Mulan yelled. "Getting inside my house that way." She sighed, really annoyed. "You get on my nerves, you know!!"

"Well, the front porch was opened, and I called but no one answered..." Shang started.

"Still, it's not excuse, you almost fear-killed me!!" Mulan said, even angrier, if that is possible. "It thought it was some criminal, or something."

"You can cool down now you now, the Huns are dead, for good." Shang said.

"Yeah, you said the same two years ago and still we had that battle today." Mulan said as-a-matter-of-factly, and with sarcasm.

"Well yeah," Shang said trying to stay calm. "But everything went out fine at the end. Didn't it?"

"Fine?!" Mulan yelled. "We could have died, Yao, and Ling, and Chien-Po, and me, and you..."

"But you saved us." Shang replied with a smile.

It was as if the Fa's had vanished, there were just Mulan and Shang standing in that kitchen, chatting as if they were still at the camp, and as if battles were an everyday issue.

"I can't always be there to save you." Mulan replied, this time there was some kind of sadness in her voice.

"Oh but you can." Shang said.

Mulan looked at him, puzzled.

'This is it.' Shang thought. 'This is the time. Now I should go on with it. This is what I came here for. I can't spoil it like last time, there might not be a third chance.'

"Honorable Fa Zhou, Mrs. Fa...my dear Mulan..." he made a pause, as he breathed deeply, he couldn't stop now. "I would be honored if Mulan accepted to be my wife, and you consented." He spoke looking first at Mulan, and then at her parents.

Mulan almost fainted right then and there. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Shang was asking her to marry him! To her!! He really loved her!!!

Mulan turned to look at his father, waiting for a reaction from him.

"It looks like you really care for my daughter." Fa Zhou said seriously, his face was unreadable.

"Yes I do." Shang replied. "I'm deeply in love with her. I've always been."

Mulan was almost crying, she couldn't believe what she was listening. So she wasn't that fool after all, falling in love with him, he had fallen for her as well!

"If my daughter agrees I don't see why not." Fa Zhou finally said, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"Yes!!" Mulan yelled throwing herself to Shang's arms.

"I love you." He told her.

"I love you too." Mulan replied sweetly.

And right then and there they kissed for the first time, putting all their emotions on that first kiss.

It didn't matter if unmarried couples weren't supposed to touch each other, it didn't matter if it went against honor, and it didn't matter if Mulan's family was watching them. All that mattered was that they loved each other and were getting married.

**The End.**

Author's Notes: Well, this is it, I'm done with this story. I know it is pretty short but in fact it is just a kind of Prelude of what will soon come. I'm getting ready the sequel: "Treasons and Lies."

Please leave reviews or send me an e-mail to: , tell me what you think of my fic.

And check my profile for future projects and ideas.

Adieu.


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